Presently there are available dispensing containers for multi-constituent systems, which are designed to receive reusable concentrate containing cartridges. The concentrate material is supplied in a separately packaged cartridge that is easily inserted into the neck of a reusable diluting and dispensing container.
One such cartridge is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,100 to Yacko et al. entitled CONCENTRATE CARTRIDGE FOR A DILUTING AND DISPENSING CONTAINER, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The concentrate cartridge disclosed in the '100 patent includes a hollow cylindrical element having a first open end forming a closure seat and a second end including a flange extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical element, and a hollow tube having a first end portion in a substantially fluid tight sliding relation with the second end of the cylindrical element and a second end terminating in a radially outwardly extending closure adapted to selectively seat with the closure seat of the hollow cylindrical element to form a fluid tight seal therebetween.
The radially outwardly extending closure is opened in response to a downward force applied to the first end portion of the hollow tube, wherein the closure element is caused to unseat from the closure seat of the cylindrical element. The hollow cylindrical body of the cartridge is held in place in the dispensing container wherein the lower surface of the radially outwardly extending flange of the cartridge is supported on an upper land portion of the neck of the container.
A closure cap is utilized to apply axial force to urge the hollow tube downwardly until the closure is opened allowing the concentrated material to be released from the cartridge into the interior of the container. Simultaneously, the downward force of the closure cap effects a sealing relationship between the undersurface of the flange of the cartridge and the upper land surface of the neck of the container.
The resulting mixture of the constituents, the concentrated material in the cartridge and the dilutant in the container, is dispensed from the container through a dip tube and a dispensing orifice as a spray or a stream of liquid in response to activation of a hand-pump associated with the closure cap.
Since the cartridge and container may be utilized to contain fluids which might be dangerous for children as well as adults, it would be desirable to produce a concentrate-containing cartridge and associated dilutant-containing container which could be opened only by specifically designed equipment and may not typically be opened by children or adults without use of such equipment.